Our Lady Of Sorrows
by AidenB
Summary: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. Shakespeare. Who wants to kill Newport’s teen queen? OC. Chp 10 up. COMPLETE!
1. In Death

**Our Lady of Sorrows**

**Summary: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. (Shakespeare) Who wants to kill Newport's teen queen? OC.**

**Disclaimer: It's on my user page.**

**Warning: Some graphic implied storylines and some bad language but it's all good otherwise.**

* * *

She sits staring out of the window. Light fragments like glass, glitter and sparkle in her hair.Light glitters and sparkles in the blood behind her too.

She brushes her hair from her face and sighs, it was too much. She didn't have to do it. But what's done is done, they didn't understand, they wouldn't understand.  
Now she has to tidy up. Like she's been raised to.  
Helena gets up from her curled position and heads for the bodies. She edges past the blood of her aunt and uncle and gives them a short pitying glance.  
Then she takes the mop and gracefully swirls the blood into it's tendrils, wiping away evidence, wiping away any trace of her existence. When they find the pathetic too, she'll be long, long, gone and by then she'll have done her job. She'll go out kicking and screaming and they'll wish they'd never cut the cord.

* * *

It takes quite some time for her to clean up, and she's hot and breathless by the time she does. Feeling light headed she takes a nap in the garden hammock. There aren't any neighbours for miles in LA, she doesn't worry about some interfering busy body snooping around. The breeze flows through her hair and she stares down at her pretty orange painted toes. She wakes up to the warm afternoon glow and heads back into the house. Her flip flops smack like kisses on the freshly polished wooden floor. She grins at a job well done.

* * *

Heading for the attic where it's cooler and even quieter than downstairs, Helena finds the old leather worn journal taht once belonged to ger brother. It still smells like him and she sighs, clutching it to her chest, with a sudden surge of reminiscence. She remembers how his skin had paled, how his eyes were just two blank staring orbs, his bland line of a mouth, the virtually non-existent smattering of freckles on his face. He had died, hanging from the wall of his ward and she shudders at the memory. Locked up in that disgusting place. An asylum for chrissakes!  
She blocks the rage from her head and stares at the journal, Helena's learnt to control her rage…well except for her poor relatives but they don't count.  
Closing her eyes she sits down on the dusty attic floor and raises her brown eyes up to the circular hole of a window, that lets in the only light into the attic. It's time.  
She can feel it in her bones.

* * *

Helena sets her luggage down in the airport and stares out at the thin blue horizon. It's definitely the sea. She smiles, her parents wave to her as she checks in and she walks over to them, hating them with every tiny little movement from her body. They sicken her with their lack of empathy or love and their pathetic social climbing needy greed. They hug her and she goes through the motions.

"Your going to love Newport" says the mother anxiously

The father nods in agreement "Yeah, I'm sure you'll make a lot of friends Helena"

Helena merely smiles. The sun in Newport is hot it burns her and she loves it, it reminds her of LA. Suddenly the bodies of her aunt and uncle float before her eyes in the hazy sun. She blinks and their gone.

Her father raises the roof of their ostentatious Mercedes convertible. Helena turns his and her mother's poor attempts at polite conversation into white noise and she turns to a blank page in the journal.  
She fills in the day and her name.  
___Day One: Newport_

Helena Trask


	2. In Newport

**Summary: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. (Shakespeare) Who wants to kill Newport's teen queen? OC.**

**Disclaimer: It's on my user page.**

**Warning: Some graphic storylines and some bad language but it's all good otherwise. Basically not for the sensitive.**

**'I know what they're saying about you and it's not true'  
-The Distillers-**

**'Burning on just like a match you strike to incinerate,  
The lives of everyone you know '  
-My Chemical Romance-**

* * *

She sits down on the smooth grainy wood of the patio. To pass the time she plays a game of Solitaire. How like her life. She smiles wryly and looks up across the picturesque beach that fans out to a crystal blue sea. Then she spies them, four beautiful young teenagers, walking along the beach. They pick a spot that's quite close to the sea but also far enough for them not to worry about the tide coming in and upsetting their obviously impromptu weekend. 

Helena falls into silence, her mind goes blank and she begins to take fast pictures with her camera. Every second is captured and the only time she breaks her focus is to change the film. Under the shadowy patio of the old beach house she is temporarily using for her surveillance, Helena's figure is obscured.  
After a while her leg cramps up, she decides she's had enough pictures. For now, there'll be more later, these are enough, through the stack of coloured shots she can see all the personalities of the four leap out at her like stop start animation. She looks down at one, there's the sassy brunette with all the attitude and sexy curves, then there's the quirky, nerdy tall thin guy who always seems to be talking, then there's the brooding, fair haired one, who laughs along with the gang, but always appears to be out of place, like a dog amongst cats…and then there's the only one she can name. Marissa Cooper. This one is tall and lithe, classically beautiful and willowy with blonde perfectly coiffed hair. The very sight of her sickens Helena, she wants to hurt her and crush her and destroy her soul. But all good things come to those who wait, she picks up her pack of cards and takes her camera and her film with her to her car.

Helena's feet pad down into the basement of her parents overly ostentatious house. It screams wealth.  
They never come down here to the dark dank undecorated basement and Helena has it all to herself, all the maids have been warned that they will be fired and never able to find work again if they should so much as linger by the doorway to that basement. Thankfully they have stayed away, it doesn't matter much to Helena, she won't need it for long. The basement is dark and musty, turning the lights on Helena gazes around the small room. Wall to wall of pictures and notes she has photocopied from her brother's stacked journal line the walls as wallpaper. She adds to the collage of eerie voyeuristic images and with the pictures she has taken from the beach. When she is done she sits down on the cold flagstone floor and opens her brother's journal and begins to write.

_Day Two._

* * *

Marissa stares at her reflection in the mirror and sighs, she is unable to decide what to do with her hair. A party is being thrown by a popular girl she vaguely knows from school as Juliet and she has been invited. Of course this means lots of drinking, wild, bawdy immoral teenagers and so forth but she's only going to party and perhaps make out with Ryan. That's all. She's promised herself she won't drink and embarrass herself, she will be the perfect girlfriend to Ryan. Well turned out and graceful. 

"Coop, get your ass out here!" yells her friend from downstairs

Marissa sighs and lets her hair which has been styled to look like it was streaked by the sun, fall loose. It brushes her aqua earrings and she grabs her purse, her heels clicking on marble floors as she runs downstairs to meet her friend.

"God Coop, what were you taking so long to do up there, you're like half dressed anyway" bitches Summer

Marissa grins and twirls in her short green mini dress as if she has just received a compliment. "Thanks, you look great too. Where are Seth and Ryan?"

Summer shrugs and preens slightly in her form fitting hot pink dress "I am not that stupid afro wearing-sarcastic-skinny chicken-arm-boy's keeper. Besides' they live next door, why don't you find out"

Marissa decides she doesn't want to know what's pissing off Summer, she just wants to have fun. "Right, come on, I be they're on their way to meet us now anyway"

Sure enough at the door they meet the two boys, Seth apologies to Summer-apparently for blowing her off for a shopping trip and dinner on Valentine's day-and they head out to Ryan's large black jeep after much platitudes.

"Here's to tonight, and a possible rollicking good time" cheers Seth asRyan begins to drive

Ryan grins "Hear, hear"

Marissa kisses his ear and already feels the anticipation for the party building in the pit of her stomach. It'll be one she'll never forget.

* * *

Helena has been watching Marissa for the past four hours now, and the girl has yet t get drunk. It infuriates Helena's because she is desperate for results, from what she's read in Oliver's book Marissa has issues and drinks. Why not now? It must be the boy Helena has learned is called Ryan Attwood, Marissa must be trying to keep up a good front on his behalf. Helena decides she'll have to get rid of him. Shame, he was so cute. She scratches the uncomfortable nutmeg coloured wig on her head and smoothes down her bright blue mini skirt. She's going to have to take matters into her own hands.

* * *

Marissa Cooper is not as light as she looks. Especially when one is having to drag her unconscious body up some front steps. Still the worst was over. Helena stares down at the girl. It was so easy to get to her. 

_Two hours earlier_

"Hey, god it's so hot in there" smiled Helena, putting on her well practiced Newport accent

Marissa grins and washes her hands in the bathroom sink, she opens up her purse so she can re-apply some make-up.

"Not as hot as some of those guys right?" chuckles Helena

Marissa smiles again "Actually I have a boyfriend"

"Oh"

"But I agree"

The two girls share a laugh and then for a few minutes as they re-touch their makeup, silence falls. Helena broke it by opening her own purse and lifting out a bottle of vodka.

"Want some? I'm dying for a real drink"

Marissa looks at the bottle wistfully but shook her head "I shouldn't"

Helena snickers "What are you, a member of the AAA? Come on take a drink. It's good for what ails ya"

The fairer haired girl gives in "All right let me have some"

Helena hands her the bottle and introduces herself, giving a pseudonym "I'm Aurora Daniels. Call me Rory"

"Marissa Cooper, call me Marissa" she chuckles and takes an impressive swig from the bottle, wiping her mouth and wincing at the strength of the drink afterwards. She holds it out to 'Rory', who shakes her head and retrieves another smaller flask from her purse.

"No thanks, I've got spare. You hold on to that"

And Marissa did as she was told. Unaware of the drug the vodka was laced with.

* * *

_An hour and forty minutes later_

Helena giggles along with Marissa, pretending to be as drunk as the thin girl beside her. "Whoa, I need to get out of this place"  
They crashed out in the darkened cloak closet, their giggling going unnoticed under the loud wild music of the party and even wilder party goers.

Marissa burped and nodded "I so agree. It's so…hot" she giggles

'Rory' wrapped an arm around Marissa "Okay, but first you got to wear my wig" she removes her wig from her head and places it on the head of a very suggestible Marissa

"You wear a wig? Eugh" another burp and giggle from Marissa, but nevertheless she puts the wig on.

Rory gives up on acting drunk and convinces Marissa to put on a full length coat that must have belonged to whoever was throwing the party.

"Okay, let's go" she said firmly and then she lead Marissa out of the closet, it gave her great satisfaction to know that both Ryan and Summer-who were in search of Marissa-walked past the girl and didn't even recognise here.

* * *

_Present._

Crouching down to her knees, Helena takes Marissa's wallet from her purse and takes out her phone. She dials Marissa's house number and it is answered by Julie.

"Hello? Are you Marissa's mom?" she has her best panicked tone on

The woman on the other line has a distinctly bored sound to it, but at the panic in Helena's voice she perks up. "Yes, this is her…What's wrong with Marissa?"

"I don't…really know her, I came home and found her passed put on my doorway…so I called her phone"

"Oh my god, what's wrong with her! Is she breathing"

"Yes…I actually think she's just drunk, I found empty bottles of vodka in her purse when I was getting the phone-and-and oh god, should I call an ambulance?"

Helena reminds herself to commend herself on her acting later once this first stage of her plan is done.

"No-no, I'll be right over. Where do you live?"

After giving her address and throwing in a few more concerned platitudes and false tones of concern about whether or not she should turn Marissa on her side, Helena hangs up.

* * *

Personally she doesn't care in the slightest if Marissa were to choke to death on her own vomit. It doesn't bother her, but it wasn't time for that yet.  
First, she has to prove to everyone else that it was Marissa who belonged in that mental asylum not Oliver, and it was Marissa who should have been hanging from that piece of rope.

After all, if Marissa wasn't crazy, then that meant that Oliver was.

Oliver?

It just wasn't possible.

He couldn't have been that tormented without the help of someone else.  
There had to be someone to blame, he wouldn't have just ended his life if there wasn't a second or third party involved. Marissa Cooper was that person and Helena sworeshe was going to pay. With her life.

It was only fair after all.

* * *


	3. In Retribution

**In Your Honour**

**Summary: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. Shakespeare. Who wants to kill Newport's teen queen? OC.  
**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews I've had, I'm interested to know if there's anything I can change. I know I have a problem with grammer sometimes but I'm working on it! Constructive criticism would be GREAT.**

* * *

When Marissa wakes up, Ryan is asleep on a chair by her bed. She finds this strangest of all, since when would Julie let him even within fifty metres of their house?  
She's not going to argue over the little things however, so she pushes her bed sheets off, and then groans as her head sways like a ship on a stormy sea. Thunder crackles in her temples and she realises what is causing her such grief.  
She's hung over.  
Her memory of how she got to be that way is shaky at best. She can only remember a flask, given to her by some pretty girl at a party. The next thing she remembers she's here. Lying in her bed, clutching her forehead.

Ryan wakes up slowly and she smiles at him with chagrin.

The look he gives her is cold and disappointed.

"Are you feeling better?"

Marissa nods "Ryan I'm sorry I…"

"Save it. I have school, I need to get home and change" he mutters and heads out of the room before she can force herself to blink.

Ryan walks straight into Helena, but she introduces herself as Rory. Her face is classically beautiful and she has hair in the same style as Theresa's except hers is glossier, in the way only Newport teenager's hair can be.

"Sorry" he mumbles, before he starts wondering who she is

She inclines her head towards Marissa's bedroom "Is she in there? Is she sleeping?"

Ryan shakes his head "She's awake" He thinks where he's seen Helena first. Then he quickly remebers.

"You're the girl that brought Marissa in right?" he says, sounding a little blunter than he thinks

"Yes, that's me but I prefer Rory, as names go, I quite like that one. You must be Marissa's boyfriend" she says without thinking

Ryan raises an eyebrow slightly "Why do you think that?"

Helena shrugs dismissively "I just assumed…since I saw you together at the party"

Ryan nods slowly "Yeah, well I am. Thanks for taking care of her"

Helena does yet another shrug of her shoulders "It was nothing, is she okay?"

He looks up at the ceiling and then back at the girl, he doesn't really know what to say to that. For as long as he's known Marissa, she's never been truly fine. She's always been angry and tormented. Sometimes he wonders what he's getting into, being with Marissa has had more downs than ups and its beginning to take it's toll on him.

"Yeah. She'll be fine. Just a raging headache" Rory nods "I guess there's no point in me coming to visit then, I just thought I should check on her"

Ryan scratches his head and smiles faintly "She'd like that"

With that he starts to walk away and Helena wonders if how long it would take to alienate him from Marissa. By the weary look on his face, it wouldn't take that long at all.

* * *

She walks into Marissa's bedroom and takes in the girly décor and almost frowns but thinks better of it. Marissa looks up at her with vague recognition.

"Hi…err…have we met before?"

Helena nods "Yeah, I'm Rory. From last night, I kind of got you into this mess"

Marissa slowly nods, she still can't quite place Rory but in her jumbled state of mind she can still piece together some sections of last night.

"Oh yeah…the uh party. It's not really your fault"

"Well, I kind of think it is. I didn't know you would get so…well look. I'm sorry"

Again Marissa refuses to let the girl apologise. She brushes her hair from her face and sits up in her bed. "You don't need to be sorry, I should have known when to stop. Thanks for stopping by anyway"

The darker haired girl walks over to Marissa's bed and smiles gently "It was nothing. Just be careful next time"

Marissa smiles jovially, blissfully unaware that what Rory has said is not a caring piece of advice but more along the lines of a threat.

* * *

The grass in the Trask's garden is short and spiky under Helena's feet. She eases herself down to a sitting position on it and smiles falsely up at her mother who flashes her a smile that is strained due to Botox. She returns to the seamy romantic novel she is reading, her head disappearing under her wide brimmed

"Mom, tomorrow. I'm going to visit Oliver's grave"

Her mother goes still and doesn't look at her daughter. Suddenly the soft sunshine around them becomes suffocating. As millions of words buzz around going unsaid.

"That's nice honey"

Her father appears in a smart tux, he walks over to his wife where she sits on a sun lounger by the pool and kisses her. She murmurs something in his ear. He stiffens and shoots an almost frightened glance in his daughter's direction.

"Helena honey, your mother and I are going out tonight. Grace will be in if you need anything" he says simply

Helena doesn't say anything. She watches the way her father turns to whisper to his wife and her paranoia increases. How pathetic they are, attempting to ignore the death of one of their own children. As if the business is so unpleasant that they daren't darken their pretty world with it. A ladybird crawls over her thumb, she delicately lifts it up and holds it up to the sunshine. The sun's rays dance off the ladybird's red shell and Helena smiles widely. Then she places it back onto the ground, bringing her fist smashing down onto it.  
She'll squash them too.

"Will you come with me dad? To see Oliver's grave?"

Her father's mouth becomes a stern line "Stop it. I don't want to hear that anymore"

Helena gets up, the rage inside her scratches to be released, a monstrous hate that she cannot control. "Have fun tonight" she says quietly and then, ignoring the concerned gaze her mother gives her she walks back into the house.

* * *

The next morning Helena's father finds several of his clothes missing. Helena sits innocently reading a magazine; when he enquires to where they are, she sits there, looking pretty, not saying a word. She pictures them perfectly in her mind. They are downstairs, in the basement. Slashed to ribbons.

* * *

Marissa and Summer trawl through the shopping mall lazily. Their eyes glance at pretty dresses and stacked heels. Every so often they pause at an item of clothing that particularly takes their fancy and either just try it on or but it. No questions asked, not bothering to look at the price tags. One item however, was out of both of their price ranges. Marissa stares at it for longer than she should.  
It was a smooth silk tank top, it glittered a dark night hue colour and the cut was exquisite. A low neckline with a structured corset like bodice and an even lower back. She had to have it.

"Summer, can I borrow, oh say…a hundred bucks? I've got to have that top…it's gorgeous" sighed Marissa wistfully

Summer raised he eyebrows "No way! Besides I've only got about forty dollars left and you know how I like to save money"

Marissa was now the one raising her eyebrows "For what exactly?"

"If you must know, it's for my subscription to Teen Vogue. Okay? Happy? You now know my dirty little secret"

Marissa smirked "Okay let me just try it on and then we'll go get something to eat"

Summer waves her hand dismissivly, her attention captured by clutch purse dripping in various shades of largegreen sequins.

Ten minutes later after trying on the top and staring at it in the changing room mirrors for quite some time, Marissa was read to go.  
The blaring of the store alarm however, meant that perhaps she wouldn't be going anywhere for quite some time.

The security guard holds a large stout palm in her face and she pales visibly as he searches her bags and produces a beautiful blue silk top. The same one she'd had her eye on.

"I didn't take that" she stutters nervously

She looks at Summer for support but her friend's face is filled with disbelief. Marissa's face burns with shame as the shoppers stared at her with accusatory, disappointed looks. As if to say it was a shame how immoral teenagers were becoming these days.

When she looks back at Summer again, the shorter girl is now proclaiming Marissa's innocence but Marissa will never forget the look on her face. It wasn't the look of someone who believes in her, it chills her to think that Ryan had worn that same look only a day ago.  
Peopleare losing faith in her. How long will they put up with her? How long before they get tired of her and her parentsmake good on their promise to lock her away?  
Unbeknownst to her, a dark haired girl watches the proceedings from behind a clothes rail. The chaos unfolding in front of her like shattered glass. Helena smiles to herself and walks over to the till. In her hand a blue silk top.

She smiled at the shop assistant.

"I'd like to buy this"

Once the top is purchased, Helena slinks out of the store, unseen by Marissa or Summer. It was happening, it was all finally going to plan. Thepedastal Marissa was on was crumbling fast. Soon she'd be rid of her forever.  
The air outside was cool and refreshing, it made her smile, it made her want to sing, maybe it was the sea breeze or the triumph of a well executed plan.  
Whatever.  
All she knew was that Oliver's death would not be in vain.  
Helena Trask had made him a promise and she was going to carry it out.

Every single bloody detail.


	4. In Manevolence

**Summary: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. (Shakespeare) Who wants to kill Newport's teen queen? OC.**

**Disclaimer: It's on my user page.**

**Warning: Some graphic implied storylines and some bad language but it's all good otherwise.**

**A/N: I must warn you about the following storylines as they will be even darker, but there are a few...surprises shall we say, that might perk you up a little. Or just confuse you. Either way, I hope you like it and realise that reviews aren't absolutely important (as I'm doing this because I actually like writing and not to gain someone's approval) but they do cheer me up and they help me see if there's anything can improve. Otherwise. Enjoy. **

**_I swore I'd never let her go _**

**-The Killers-**

* * *

Ryan runs further down the beach, his sneaker clad feet dig footprints into the ground, sand flies behind him and he feels the cool sea breeze calm down his anger, his confusion. His despair.  
Drinking till she passes out in a pathetic heap outside a stranger's door, shoplifting? He doesn't even understand Marissa anymore. He doesn't know how he's supposed to help her, or talk to her. Does she even care how much it hurts him to see her like this, when he loves her so much?  
Maybe she doesn't care, maybe he was something for her to have fun with, play with, something to occupy her, a device to piss off her parents with. That's what had been on his mind when they first dated, but after a while he pushed it back into his mind, tried to ignore those gnawing doubts. But their back now like a rash that simply won't go away, growing more and more inflamed as he scratches at it. 

His feet lead him to one of Newport's few bars. It's an out of the way place, with a clichéd pool table, a few barely working fruit machines and a well stocked bar. Deciding against ordering anything alcoholic (after what's happened with Marissa, he's a little dubious about drinking) and instead orders a game of pool to go with his bitter black coffee.

"Ryan?"

He looks up to see who accompanies the feminine voice and is pleased to see that it's owner is attractive with dark brown hair, a close fitting blue top that shimmers bright in the dull lighting of the bar. He calls her by the name she's told him 'Rory'; not Helena as is her actual name. Oh no, she won't tell him that yet, because that is a secret, a dark surprise that will be revealed like a clap of thunder one day. One day soon.

"Rory" he says, putting a name to her pretty face

"What are you doing here?" she asks

"I could ask you the same thing" he says simply

Helena smiles "I just needed to get away from…my family. You?"

"Something like that" he sinks three balls into a pocket and Helena appears impressed. "Want to talk about it?" she says sarcastically

Ryan smiles faintly, not picking up on the sarcasm "No not really. Sometimes I just want to forget" he replies and then feels stupid

"I know. Sometimes you want to go far away, and not have to deal with something. You want to hide till it doesn't exist anymore" she concurs

Ryan looks up at her and lets the stick rest on the table "Exactly"

"I'm glad you agreed, I thought I was rambling there" she smiles

Ryan wonders why it's easier to tell a stranger how he feels rather than his own family and friends. Maybe because there won't be any reprisals.

"Drink?" says Helena after a while

Ryan shakes his head and Helena appears contrite "Oh yeah, I'm sorry. Marissa drinks"

"She doesn't…all the time" he says awkwardly

Helena seems sympathetic "My mom drinks. All the time"

"Mine too" Ryan finds himself saying

He realises that perhaps he has more in common with this girl than he'd first assumed.

"Walk?" offers Helena. The cool sea breeze outside must be better than the claustrophobic smoke filled hole they are currently in.

Ryan shrugs, he takes a swig of the black ink like coffee and nods "Sure, why not?"

He's got nothing to lose. How wrong he is.

* * *

Summer stares at the television set not really watching, but rather that than talk to Marissa. They have nothing to say to each other. Where once they would spend their famous sleepovers filling the air with vapid conversation that sparkled like champagne, the air is now flat and weak. They are drifting apart. 

"Summer, you believe me don't you?" asks Marissa suddenly

Summer's voice stretches like cling film, it's immediately transparent and easily torn "I…of course I do Coop! That security guard was a jerk, as if _you_ would steal"

Marissa hugs her pillow to her chest from where she sits on her bed. She shouldn't have snuck over to Summer's house to sleepover. She's already in trouble at home but she can't stand sitting there awaiting judgment, like a criminal. Which she _isn't,_ but she has this insatiableneed for people to like her. It's a hunger, desperate and needy to befedby love and popularity. It tears her apart when anyone sees below that surface, and sees the mess she truly is. That's why she's at Summer's house, to try and gain her friend's affection again. Although obviously it doesn't seem to be working. She'll try again in the morning.

"Right, thanks. I'm going to sleep now. You?"

Summer yawns and climbs into her bed. Marissa will sleep at the bottom half whilst she is at the top side. They don't say goodnight and don't look at each other, the lights go out and within minutes they fall into dreamless sleep.

* * *

When Ryan wakes up there's a girl beside him, whose name he can't remember. As he slowly realises who she is he frowns in shock and stares at the heap of bottles and food cartons. He groans as he realises they are both naked and holds his head in his hands. Beside him Helena smiles to herself, it's working. My _God_ it's working. She yawns slightly and quickly brushes a long dark hair that isn't hers from her hands. It's been a busy night for her.

* * *

Summer weeps and weeps, she's inconsolable. Marissa stares dumbly at her hands, they're covered in hair, clumps of hacked off hair. It's not hers. She wishes it was, maybe that might make it easier. But no, it's Summers. The once sultry looking girl has the resemblance of an ugly newborn baby with clumps of hair sticking out here and there, frightening amounts of scalp lays exposed and around her are glossy locks of sleek brown hair that once sat on her head. 

"I'm sorry" says Marissa, her voice sounds distorted to her, as if it isn't her own voice. She wonders how her mind is betraying her so. What kind of mind is it she has that she would do such a malicious spiteful thing.

"Get out!" shouts Summer, she hugs Seth, sobbing and shaking

Seth glowers at Marissa and from a boy that is usually cheery and easy going this look is terrifying to Marissa

"I…I didn't do it" she stammers although she isn't so sure she didn't.

This is the last straw that breaks the camel's back. "Get OUT!"

* * *

Helena leaves Ryan in his confusion and guilt she then heads back home, in her purse is a long clump of hair that once belonged to the brunette friend of Marissa's she only knows as Summer. Along with that clump of hair is a long red handled pair of scissors. 

Everything's coming together now, it's only a matter of days before she can carry out the final stage of her plan. The anticipation is so strong in her that she doesn't sleep. She only sits outside Marissa's window, camera in hand, snapping picture after picture.

* * *


	5. In Manipulation

**Summary: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. (Shakespeare) Who wants to kill Newport's teen queen? OC.**

**Disclaimer: It's on my user page.**

**Warning: Some graphic implied storylines and some bad language but it's all good otherwise.**

* * *

"Doctor, we've tried everything. Even moving her back to Newport. She doesn't seem to understand" sighs Mrs. Trask

Their doctor, is Albert Mosco, a flame haired man that has been their family physician for years shakes his head. It must be something serious with Helena for her mother to come all the way to France to come and see him.  
However she has been known to use any excuse to go on holiday and spend money, but he doesn't comment on that. He just comments on what he's paid too, right now, that is the declining sanity of their seventeen year old daughter.

"She still talks of him, yes?" he asks, and furrows his brow, reclining in his leather seat

"I don't think it was wise to move her there"

"She wanted to be closer to him. We thought it would help, that she would understand…but the way she talks" Mrs. Trask, or Eleanor as was her maiden name, dabs at her eyes with a silk handkerchief

Dr.Mosco shakes his head sadly "You really must take her…show her the truth and perhaps she will begin to make sense again"

"You know he won't let us do that. He refuses it, completely. Such a stubborn…" Eleanor trails off and smoothes down her Chanel skirt. She stares around her family's wonderful French home, her husband designed it especially for their children. It's elegant but allows room for the messes that children might make.  
The messes her children have made however are not the type she can just wipe away with a cloth, how had they turned out so…dysfunctional? Whydid her children turn out so _imperfect,_ when they had everything they could ever ask for. Beauty, riches, popularity, expensive clothes andbaubles, ridiculous gadgets andevery whim pandered to,a handful of homes scattered around the world. What more could they want?

She blames her husband.

"I'll talk to him. I'll see what I can arrange, in the mean time it is important that you treat Helena as…how shall I put it, 'normal'. Spend time with her"

Eleanor tucks a smooth brown lock of hair behind her ear and sighs, this is the type of problem she wishes she could simply throw money at but sadly for her, the matter isn't going to resolve itself so quickly or easily.

"All right. But what if she asks…I can't continue to lie to her"

Mosco raises his eyebrows "Then tell her the truth"

Elenaor Trask pouts momentarily. If only the 'truth' were that simple.

* * *

Helena answers her front door and is rather unsurprised to find Ryan on her doorstep. There is a slight breeze in the air that has ruffled his fair hair and he looks nervous and uncertain.

"Hi. Can we talk?" he asks

Helena brushes some hair from her face and shrugs "I have to be somewhere. Make it quick"

As taken aback as he is by her reaction to his visit Ryan continues onwards. "It's about last night" he says, obviously worried about someone overhearing them. Helena only looks bored, her eyes rake over him, Ryan Attwood is an attractive young man. He seems nice, genuine, a decent guy. On the surface. She almost pities him. Almost. Unfortunately for him, Ryan will not be lucky enough to escape her wrath. Helena's read her brother's journal, she knows the anguish this 'attractive young man' caused her brother

"Oh. I'm already over it" she says shortly and succinctly. Ryan stares at her and feels his growing uncertainness about Rory heighten. There is something odd about her. He can't quite place his finger on it, but her strange behaviour has made him more aware of what could be behind her pretty brown eyes.

"Really?"

"Really. Ryan, we were drunk. Shit happens. Don't worry, I won't tell your little girlfriend" smiles Helena, and she means it. She won't tell Marissa, Ryan's going to do that all by himself. Whether he wishes to or not, is another matter.

"Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken advantage of you…" he trails off as Helena waves her hand in his face dismissively

"You are like a one track record. I said I'm over it, and you should probably get over it too. It would kill Marissa to know you were lusting after someone else"

Then Helena smiles widely and walks back into her house, closing the door behind her. Ryan feels as if he's just been slapped and is completely thrown off by the course of events. Her response is exactly what he wanted, for her to realise he was drunk…they were drunk and it was a stupid, stupid mistake. Yet the way she seems to treat the incident chills him, he doesn't understand why she isn't even the slightest bit bothered by what took place. The Rory he's just spoken to, is a far cry from the sensitive girl who he talked to on the beach, the girl who helped Marissa.  
Sighing, he decides to bury the matter, his guilt causes him to pick up the phone and call for Marissa.He's almost relieved when she doesn't answer.

He needs to think, he needs to realise whether or not he wants to tell her about him and Rory or not.

* * *

"You can't be serious" says Ryan, he says it slowly, the confusion evident in his tired blue eyes

Seth shrugs with bemusement, he looks tired too, after just spending most of the day consoling his girlfriend, who cannot understand why her best friend would suddenly change so drastically to the point that she would want to hurt her own friends.

"She just cut it all off man. I don't, what's going on with her. Has she talked to you about all this at all?" asks Seth, he walks over to Ryan's small refrigerator and helps himself to a bottle of root beer. He hates the stuff, but he's thirsty and this will do as good as anything else.

Ryan shakes his head and rakes a hand through his blonde hair, he looks sadly at the floor as if all the answers are there. "I was supposed to help her, I was supposed to be there for her. But I messed up"

Before Seth can question Ryan on this, Kirsten enters, calling the two boys out of the pool house and into the main house for dinner. Seth tries to ask Ryan about what he means by his comment but the look on Ryan's face clearly indicates the subject is closed.

* * *

"Want to hang out?"

Marissa looks at the girl sitting in her kitchen and is momentarily surprised by her presence. "Hi" she says, feeling awkward, she's not her usual immaculate self, her golden, stylish hair is a mess, her clothes mismatched and her eyes have the distinct redness of someone who has been crying.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, not unkindly

Helena's smile widens, and seems shy. "I'm new here. I really don't know anyone, so I went out on a limb and thought you might want to hang out"

Marissa shakes her head, she'd prefer to wallow in self pity and lose herself in another bottle of vodka.

"I can't…I'm not feeling to good…it's late" she lies pathetically

Helena smiles winsomely "Come on, it's seven thirty, we can go watch a movie, or do some late night retail shopping. I heard there was a new boutique that only opens at night. Pretty please, you can show me around"

Marissa realises that Rory, despite not even knowing the girl's last name or age (though she guesses the girl is probably her age) that this girl appears to be her only friend right now. Even her mother can't keep up the simple semblance of caring for her daughter. She seems too unnerved by Marissa's recent behaviour.

"You know what. Sure. Just give me a few minutes to change"

Helena smiles, an odd shining light in her eyes. "I'll be waiting"

* * *

The two girls are laughing. Something only a few hours ago, Marissa thought she wouldn't be doing for a long time. They walk along the pier, underneath glittering lights, the sea lapping at the white shore beneath them, people walk along underneath the dark sky, chattering happily.

"This was totally fun. Except for those guys that tried to hit on us" giggles Marissa

Helena grins with her "I know, what a couple of greasy mooks"

"Mooks? What kind of a word is that?" snickers Marissa

"Mooks! My grandmother, she's Italian, she calls everyone that rubs her the wrong way, a 'greasy mook'" Even this very simple story is another fabrication by Helena. She has planned this all to the letter, and her friendship with Marissa has to work exactly so, Marissa has to understand what betrayal feels like, what rejection feels like before Helena will put her out of her misery.

"That's a good word. I'm going to use that more" chuckles Marissa, she spoons some of her frozen yoghurt into her mouth and the cold makes her mouth tingle, leaning over the pier she stares out at the sea and wishes she could just get away from it all. It would be so simple, get on a boat, sail away. Start afresh.  
"Speaking of greasy mooks…" says Helena with a mouthful of frozen yoghurt, from immediately beside Marissa; the dark haired girl's pale skin glows luminous under the dark sky and for the briefest of moments she reminds Marissa of someone. Someone, whose name she can't think of at that moment, but Helena is still familiar.

"I was drunk last night and I hooked up with this one guy…stupid, I know. I mean I barely even know him, but he is so charming and he told me he was single…I believed him. He was gorgeous too, blonde, blue eyes. The next day he's a jerk and tells me he has a girlfriend. Nice guy huh?"

Marissa smiles compassionately "He sounds like a real greasy mook"

Helena nods, and finishes off her frozen yoghurt. "Last time, I fall for a guy like that. I guess I'm just looking for someone nice, who respects me. A good guy"

Marissa glances at her expensive watch, it reads ten thirty, she pauses thoughtfully and feels the breeze float through her hair "I have a good guy. I don't know if I'll have him for much longer" she says quietly

Helena wraps her designer sweater tighter around her shoulders "Go get him then, no point wasting you time here talking about greasy mooks when you've got a good guy back home"

The blonde looks at her brunette friend and smiles softly but then her features morph into that of doubt. "We've been having problems…I don't know if things are going to be okay. He's so good to me and I feel like I'm messing things up, I don't know what to do, how to make it up to him"

"Well they're not. Not if you don't fight for him. So go on, get a move on, I know I've only known you a couple of weeks, technically three days…but I'm going to give you a piece of advice"

She pauses and turns away from the pier, propping herself on the rail by her elbows. Marissa follows her example and looks at the girl expectantly.  
"If you've got someone that loves you, that they'll do anything for you and someone who takes care of you no matter what…then you need to repay them anyway you can. You give as good as you get. Always"

That 'advice' is the only honest thing Helena's said to Marissa in the time she's known her. It's honest because it's the way Helena feels about her brother. He loved her, even if she wasn't there for him, he was there for her. Then Marissa came along and all that changed. She was going to repay Oliver for all the love he'd given her by any means possible.

Marissa smiles uncertainly "You're sure?"

Already she's questioning the possibility of Ryan still being awake.

"Hell yeah! Go on, I've got stuff to do anyway" nods Helena

Marissa gives the girl an unexpected hug "Thanks Rory" then she runs off, on her way to the Cohen residence.

Helena watches her go and smiles up at the dark sky. It's time for Ryan to play his part.

* * *

**A/N: Hello. It's me apologising for such a late response, I've been busy, but that's nothing you need to be concerned of, just know I'm back and bigger than ever! In regards to 'Our Lady Of Sorrows', it was always going to be only ten chapters. Now I've reached the halfway point, I should warn you that things get darker and there are some twists up ahead so strap yourselves in and drive safe. It all kicks off from here!  
Thanks to Valkryies, she's supported this fic and my other fic about the two evil twins, she's been a great fan and I hope she's enjoying these stories! Thanks a lot to other reviewers, I know some don't always review, but I know people are reading this and I hope your enjoying it!**


	6. In Shadows

**Disclaimer: It's on my user page.**

**Warning: Bad language, graphic storylines, angst, drama, surrealness...you know me.**

**A/N: Posts are late and I'm sorry, hope your still reading out there. Review if you can (which is really easy to do too ;)**

* * *

**People are fragile things, you should know by now  
You'll speak when you're spoken to  
-The Editors**

Ryan stares quietly at Marissa, she's shaking, her body is hunched over, head in her hands, and she's sobbing and he can't do a thing about it.  
They were talking, that was all. Just plain talking, when somehow she worked it out. Marissa worked out what had happened to Ryan the previous night and when confronted with the truth, he couldn't lie to her. He was nothing but honest.  
Perhaps the lie would have worked better. Marissa pushes back her sunny hair from her face and stares at the darkness through the glass windows of the pool house.

"I think we should break up" she says, suddenly feeling a surge of clarity.  
Ryan opens his mouth to speak but can't. After all they've been through together, after all the love and hardship-especially with Oliver-that Marissa and he have been through, he has nothing to say.  
He simply can't find a reason why they should be together anymore. Marissa can see it in his blue eyes and the uncomfortable way he stares at his feet.  
Tears stream down her face and she stands up from his bed, her mouth quivering and her eyes bloodshot.

"I know that things haven't been the same since…Oliver…and obviously…this meant more to me than it did to you, but I never thought you would do this to me" she says with soft but palpable firmness in her voice

"Marissa, I…" he's still at a loss for words and Marissa can see it

"Save it" with that, she storms out of the pool house and runs.

Helena's fingers run over a picture of Ryan's face, with a slow, sure smile she picks up a fat black Sharpie pen and begins to scribble all over Ryan's face, putting the picture down on the worn table that presides in the basement, Helena goes through the arduous task of drawing over all the other many pictures she's collected of Ryan, and then does the same with the pictures of Summer, finally she ends on Seth.  
The few pictures she has of Marissa's mother and father, Helena wavers over. Has she convinced them of Marissa's 'insanity' yet, has she made for certain that they become so concerned over Marissa's behaviour that they are willing to send her away to an institution?  
Does she have the utmost belief that, in the same way Oliver was shipped off when his parent's could no longer handle him, will the same thing happen to Marissa?  
The truth is, she's not sure.  
She's going to have to think and work fast if she wants things to happen. Putting her thoughts of revenge aside for once she picks up her brother's journal and flips through it, as she does, she realises she can't find her brother' suicide note, which is odd since she taped and glued it into the leather journal. Trying to remain rational she tries not to panic at the possibility that if someone has found that note, then they must have seen the rest of the journal. They must have seen what she's written, what she's done.  
Perhaps she simply misplaced the note, Helena quickly turns to the final page on the journal. The page where Oliver made his last entry, where he plotted his death.  
That is missing too.  
Helena can only see her own entries.  
She begins to shake, her anger bubbling like a can of soda that has been shaken to hard, bursting to explode. Her lips are so tightly pursed together that they become a white line.  
Someone has seen the journal.  
This can't be happening.  
She knows this could be the end of her, if the snooping mystery person decides to blow the lid on all her various double dealings and schemes. Unless they plan to blackmail her.  
Not fucking likely she thinks.  
Perhaps this foolish person that dared to go through her things, believes truly and honestly that they can screw with her. Her eyelashes fall on her cheeks and fan out across them as she inhales and exhales. Once she finds out who is responsible there will be hell to pay.  
Helena struggles to contain herself. She wants to scream and tear apart the room with her bare hands. Who would do such a thing?  
So she thinks. And she thinks a little more. It's almost dark when she realises and the thought makes her head spin. Her suspect is so unbelievable that she surprises even herself. It simply can't be possible.  
But it is.

* * *

"Where is it?"

The voice from the corner of the expensive marble tinged kitchen that is an exact replica of ten of the other exclusive houses in the small gated Newport community; is low and tense.

The woman looks up nervously from her task of preparing another gourmet dinner for yet another one of the Trask's many social events one that yet again is impromptu and extremely short notice. But what else is new? Karen Lohman has been an unofficial personal assistant to the Trask family for years. Losing out on a large sum of her social and personal life, the wiry, red haired, superstitious and chatty woman has nursed the two beautiful children and aside from any domestic or menial duties (that's for the maids) Karen has also been responsible for planning things such as society dinners, organising business meetings, fundraisers, marital counselling, counselling for the children personal shopping, even being a surrogate parent to the two Trask children.  
Yet in all her years with them, she never once saw what was coming. She never once saw what Helena and Oliver would become until it was far too late.  
Although she has been paid handsomely enough to retire at the grand old age of 43, Karen feels responsible for Helena and refuses to retire until she feels she has tried her hardest with the girl.  
But by the dark look in Helena's eyes, the young woman doesn't appear to want anything to do with Karen.

"Honey, _what_ are you talking about?" asks Karen with her usual lopsided smile

Helena stares at her with disdain, this was the one woman she thought she could trust. Even if she hasn't told Karen everything, Helena always perceived Karen as too dumb and nice to try and meddle too much in the Trask's life.Therefore, she deemed her trustworthy.  
_Goes to show how little you can know a person_ thinks Helena.

"You stupid, _stupid_ bitch.Return it to me right, _now_ and I _won't_ fire you on the spot" hisses Helena

Karen clutches nervouslyat the leather thread necklace she has, from which two white thumb sized crystals hang.

"Don't talk to me like that, what's wrong with you Lena?" she asks, her grey eyes are teary already. She never was one for confrontation

"Don't call me that! How _dare_ _you_ go into my private things? Who do you think you are? GET _OUT!"_ snarls Helena, her eyes are flashing like a dark sky that threatens to shoot thunder from it's smoky clouds.

"You…I don't work for you, I work for your parents! Helena, I think you should take your medicine, you don't know what your saying" stutters Karen, she backs slightly into the fridge

Helena steps out of the shadows, the soft yellow silk dress she has worn for her parents banquet twirls around her as she moves, the gentleness of her hair and dress contrasts immensely with the tightness of her jaw and the menace in her eyes which are now black with rage.

"That act you have, that vapid, innocent act doesn't fool me. I don't know how or why you took it upon yourself to try and steal from me, but believe me you'll regret it. You forget that it's my parents who sign your checks. I very much doubt they will be siding with you, no matter how much you cry and beg"

Karen wrings her wrists and her large rings which consists of symbols of moons, stars, suns and cats clatter lightly together. "Please…darling…Lena….what are you talking about? I would never, ever, ever, steal from you. I raised you and your brother…how could you think I would do this..? I don't even know what your talking about"

Helena looks bored and decidedly disgusted, it's plain to see she doesn't believe Karen one bit,but she realises that she can't get rid of Karen immediately, no matter how much she wants to because the woman has Oliver's letter and final journal entry and she's probably read Helena's entries too.  
She decides to give the woman a chance to return her things and then to make sure that Karen never tells of what she knows. Helena will kill her. She sighs, knowing that getting rid of Karen will mean delaying her revenge on Marissa but it's something she must do. No one can ever know what Helena has been up to. It would ruin all her best laid plans and she just can't have that happen.

"Listen to me. You have until tomorrow at one…which is when my parents will wake up after sleeping over their inevitable hangover from tonight's 'festivities'. Return my property to me by that time and I will spare you. You'll keep your job and you'll tell no one what took place or what you know. Is that clear?" she says firmly

Karen nods, completely unaware of what is going on but she is suddenly so afraid of Helena that she can do nothing but agree to her whims despite not being aware what she must return. Helena smiles sweetly, her face morphing into the picture of innocence, her eyes filled with light, her lips in a girlish grin. Karen blanches. All she sees now in the girl is not someone who needs help but evil. Pure evil.

"I'm glad we've settled this. Aren't you?" says Helena

"Yes. Helena" mumbles Karen, she resists shuddering when rather brashly and snidely Helena blows her a kiss and then heads out into her backyard where her parents are having their dinner.  
Once she is sure Helena is gone, Karen dissolves into horrified tears.

* * *

Summer looks doubtful.

"Do you really think so?" she asks, looking up at her lean figured boyfriend

"Yeah! Mia Farrow and Winona Ryder-pre her shoplifting days" nods Seth

Summer runs her manicured nails through her short pixie crop. With the help of a skilful hairdresser 'to the stars', Summer's ugly hacked short hair courtesy of Helena, is now an endearing pixie crop with warm toffee highlights and a glossy sheen. It suits her heart shaped face but has the disadvantage of making her look much younger than she is.

"I don't know, you really think I can pull this off? It's…too quirky, someone like…Anna could pull this off" she mutters unsurely

Seth takes his hands out of his jeans pockets and holds Summer's face in them. "You're wicked hot Summer, you would look good with no hair"

Summer giggles at the compliment "Even Demi Moore in GI Jane bald?"

"Even Bruce Willis bald" chuckles Seth

They begin to kiss, through fits of giggles as they imagine Summer bald and are interrupted after a few minutes by a knock on Summer's bedroom door.

"If I's the step-monster, tell her I'm…studying" sighs Summer leaning back from Seth

Seth gives her a look "Do your own dirty work lady"

Summer rolls her eyes and sighs "Tool" she jumps out of reach, laughing as Seth tries to hit her for her remark On opening her door a frown crosses Summer's face.

"What are you doing here? There's no more hair left to cut" she snipes

Marissa casts her eyes downwards "I'm so sorry Summer…but I need to talk to you. Something happened" she says softly and before she can help herself the tall honey blonde begins to cry and Summer notices that her hands are shaking.

For that moment, all that has taken place between them is forgotten and Summer's caring instincts kick in. She wraps her arms around Marissa and hushes her gently.

"What happened?" she asks

Marissa peers at her friend from under lashes clumpy with tears and navy blue mascara.

"It's Ryan…he slept with someone else"

* * *

Karen stands behind a wall and quietly watches Helena sleepwalk towards the stairs, it's a habit she's had since she was young. Harmless to her really, Helena always walks to the top of the stairs and then turns around and walks back to her room. It has always been odd but has never been problematic to anyone before.  
Karen hopes that people blame what will happen next on the sleepwalking. She almost cries to herself there and then. How can someone that she practically raised from birth to near adulthood, turn on her so?  
Helena was supposed to be the good one, the promising one, where Oliver had failed the family, Helena would be the shining star. It all went wrong after Oliver's suicide. Such a malevolent thing to do. Only Oliver would have dreamed up something so hurtful. From then on Helena became troubled, the way she talked about Oliver. It was as if she didn't understand, it was like she refused to see what had happened. Karen sighs, things with Helena only became the way the did, truly, after the fall.  
After that accident, coupled with Oliver's death had changed her.  
She'd chosen to stay with her aunt and uncle and for such a young girl become a relative recluse.  
Then all of a sudden she was back with the family. It seemed Helena had changed.  
Apparently not for the better.  
Whatever happened though Karen has to fix it. She wishes she didn't have to resort to such drastic measures, that are not only very bad for her karma, but she is also doubtful it will work but if she wants to keep her job then she'll do it.  
Suddenly and quickly she reaches out to Helena and pushes her down the stairs.  
Helena's body lands with a thud in the middle of the steps, her body splays out on the stairs and she is no longer asleep.  
She is now unconscious.  
Karen clasps her hand to her mouth to stop herself from screaming, then she composes herself and walks back to her room, shaking with fear. She hopes to god that it works and Helena isn't seriously injured. She closes her eyes and thoughts drift into her dreams as she tries to sleep.

* * *

_Tomorrow everything will be the way it was.  
Tomorrow, Helena will forget what happened.  
Tomorrow, Helena will be herself again._


	7. In Flaws

**Summary: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. (Shakespeare) Who wants to kill Newport's teen queen? OC.**

**Disclaimer: It's on my user page.**

**Warning: Some graphic implied storylines and some bad language (I think, I haven't read this in a while!) but it's all good otherwise.**

**A/N: This is a trippy more descriptive chapter and since I said this fic would only be 10 chapters long it's important you read back over the other chapters to better understand what lead to this particular chapter. Geddit? No?  
Just read it then.**

* * *

**I left my soul there,  
Down by the sea  
I lost control here  
Living free**

**-Morcheeba-**

When Helena wakes up something is different, her head hurts for one and she is no longer in her room. Instead she is in a hospital ward, a private one, with cream walls, soft maroon curtains and comfortable sheets. Barely awake, the room is blurry but at the foot of her bed she can just make out a shadowy figure, when her vision clears however the figure is gone and it is only her parents she sees.  
The Trasks peer at their daughter anxiously, Eleanor Trask is dressed in her most 'serious' clothing, a rich brown Chanel dress suit with gold pumps and a matching quilted Chanel purse. Her husband is also suitably attired, dressed in a dark navy suit with an open collar bright white shirt.

"_Darling_, are you all right?" asks Laurence Trask

Helena sits up slowly and ignores the pounding in her head "What is going on?"

Eleanor sighs dramatically "Oh _honey_! You fell down the stairs, when you were sleep walking"

"That's never happened before" says Helena warily

Laurence nods "I know, it's dreadful. The doctor says you have a mild concussion and you can leave today actually."

Eleanor smiles "Then later, perhaps, if your feeling better we might get some lunch on the pier and do some girly shopping. Just you and me eh?" she suggests eagerly

Helena cannot think of any thing worse but she goes along with it, she's too tired and confused to disagree.

"Karen's bringing you a change of clothes right now" smiles Eleanor, she busies herself with fluffing Helena's pillow in a poor attempt at a maternal act

Laurence smiles and makes small talk with his daughter who nods, laughs and comments in all the right places but her mind is elsewhere.  
She is concerned with the fact that she cannot at all recollect the events of the night before, of course she remembers the incidents with Ryan, Marissa and Summer but other than that, her mind is a blank.  
The only thing she can currently rely on is the memory of her brother's suicide. She can almost picture him now, hanging lifeless like a morbid doll, hanging from…_what?_

She can't remember.

_Where did he die?_

She suddenly feels very unsure of herself, something far more serious than a simple 'fall' happened. As Helena struggles to keep rein of her memories she grows ever more confused.  
Questions float like air bubbles to the surface of her mind ranging from the obscure to the frightening and confusing. Where did Oliver die?  
_When did he die?_  
Thoughts blur and merge as one and significant colours, images and sensations fill her mind suddenly. The acrid smell of blood, her uncle and aunt's bleeding bodies, those bodies appear to be fading now, as if…they didn't exist. She can feel the chalky paper of her brother's suicide note, dry under her thumb, it dissolves into dust. A strong hand on her shoulder, a male voice, French in accent, comforting her, a featureless face with dark brown hair hovering ominously at the end of her bed.  
_Did I kill Oliver?  
What did Marissa do?  
Where did they take him?  
What did he do?  
What've I done?_

"SHUT UP!" she screams suddenly and startles both her parents

"I _can't_… I can't think with you two constantly talking…please leave me alone" she growls

Laurence clears his throat "I understand, you must be tired. We'll leave you for a few minutes or so whilst we get your things and your prescriptions from your doctor"

Helena shakily sweeps her hair from her face, it's wet with perspiration. "Can I visit it…please? Can I see Oliver's grave again?" asks Helena, she feels if she just were to see it she could get some security in her emotions and what she is feeling, but even as she asks the question Helena is beginning to wonder if she has ever in fact visited Oliver's grave.  
She can't even remember a funeral.

Laurence's face turns dark at the mention of Oliver "I don't believe this, I _don't_ believe this"

Eleanor pleads with him "Darling not now, we've got a skiing trip to Aspen planned, this will all blow over and Helena will be fine"

Helena interjects "In case it hadn't caught your attention but I too happen to be in this room…I thought it was just a 'mild concussion', why do I need a trip to Aspen…do I have memory loss?" she asks without stopping to breath

Her parents look at her balefully "Karen will be back with your clothes in a few moments, your father and I have to talk to your doctor" sighs Laurence

Before Helena can ask anything else her parents' have swept out of the room. She sits back in her bed and wonders why hearing Karen's name brings a sharp pain to her head.

* * *

Seth walks into the pool house and greets Ryan in his usual friendly, wise-cracking way, only to be greeted by not the calm, sarcastic Ryan that he has come to love as brother but the Ryan that first came to Newport. The surly, dark boy with a grim outlook and a monosyllabic speech. Ryan turns him away with a bitter comment and Seth leaves the pool house as quickly as he came, feeling confused. He heads out to the pier, to do some late afternoon skateboarding, he accidentally bumps into Marissa, and knowing what has just happened between her and Ryan he feels guilty.

"Hey, Marissa" he says awkwardly

Marissa looks at him "Hey Seth" she says dully

"Are you okay?" he asks tenderly

Marissa gives him a thoroughly dirty look "What do you think? Wow, are you that oblivious Cohen?" she pauses, mentally reprimands herself and bites her lip "I'm sorry, I'm just…a little stressed right now. How is Ryan?"

Seth uncomfortable fiddles with his skateboard which is nestled under his foot "Um…he's kind of…he's…quiet. You know Ryan"

Marissa stares out at the beach, her hair falling in her eyes "No, no I don't" with that she leaves Seth and his skateboard, walking briskly away, looking more troubled than ever

Seth wonders what he can do to return his friends to the brighter personalities they once where. He wonders what could have caused them such trouble. He decides that perhaps it is time to play detective. With a stronger sense of optimism at now having a purpose and a way of perhaps cheering his friends up, Seth skates back home eagerly.

* * *

Helena sits stretched out on the beach on an expensive white deck chair. She lazily waves at her parents as they sail past on one of their three yachts. She declined their offer to join them for a sail around Newport, preferring instead to stay on the beach and enjoy the sunshine. For once she has no complicated schemes to carry out, for that moment she is happy to simply relax and take things slowly.  
However Seth Cohen puts a dent in her plans.  
Seth spies the long limbed girl, in the designer red bikini, on the beach and he recognises her from the party that acted as almost a catalyst to the chain of events that had occurred in the past two weeks. He knows the following things about her; she was present at the party, she helped Marissa when she was drunk, she apparently visited Marissa a few days after the party, she has been shopping with Marissa and now she happens to be Ryan's 'scarlet woman.  
Seth would normally not even think so suspiciously of anyone (unless they were a member of the water polo team) but the way things have been going with his friends he is more than a little concerned at how this 'Rory' keeps popping up in his friends' lives.  
He doesn't know exactly what he should say to her, he just wants to ask her why she features so prominently in every problem that involves Marissa and Ryan. Maybe there is more to her than meets the eye. He remembers how sneakily Oliver had broken apart Marissa and Ryan, and how he had been oblivious to the whole situation. Seth isn't about to sit back and let another 'psycho in the making' ruin his friend's lives.

"Hey, Rory!" he says brightly

Helena peers up at Seth from behind her fashionably large Chanel shades and smiles a sweet soft red lip gloss smile at him.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" she says although she already knows who he is. How can she not? She's been following him and his friends avidly for days

"No, not directly really, we've sort of…no. No we haven't. You don't know me, I'm Seth Cohen, but, I know of you. You and Ryan" says Seth

Helena frowns slightly and the sky is no longer as blue as she'd first seen it. "Oh, well…I didn't know he was Marissa's boyfriend, I am sorry. But he told me he was single"

Seth scratches his head and smiles humourlessly "Well I, it just doesn't sound like something Ryan would do…and…you've seen Marissa a couple of times…so I'd think you'd know by now who her boyfriend is"

Helena sits up slowly and her rich brown hair falls down over her shoulders, she lowers her shades till they rest on her perfect nose and reveal her half of her eyes. "Are you trying to say I did this on _purpose?". _If Seth had known Helena better he would have known to stop his accusations, but he doesn't. He doesn't note the very cold edge her voice has taken on. He doesn't notice the way her words are sharp and short like ice cracking.

Seth shrugs "I don't know, I just think…that its kind of weird how you keep showing up" he says abruptly, he still has no idea what to say next but he refuses to leave until he can understand what went on with Ryan and Rory

"I helped Marissa when she was drunk, how…why would I…seek out her boyfriend and sleep with him? I don't even know why your giving me the third degree. Why don't you ask _Ryan_ what happened? Marissa isn't the only victim here" she retorts with a devastating coolness.

Seth flushes slightly and wonders what he hoped to achieve by attacking a perfect (gorgeous) stranger without any facts. He really should have spoken to Marissa and Ryan first.

"Um, your right, I'm sorry. I was just trying to found out what happened. I'm just going to take my foot out of my mouth and leave you and your…sunbathing" he mutters awkwardly

Helena pretends to be relaxed and lays back down on her deck chair, raising her shades back over her eyes. "See you around Seth"

Once Seth has left she sits there slowly burning up with a kind of heat that has nothing to do with the sunshine. She is apoplectic. How dare that pathetic gawky loser come to her and question her?  
She wonders how he would respond if she were to question him on how badly he'd treated her brother.  
With her stomach turning in disgust, she clenches her fists and takes a few moments to compose herself.  
She's going to teach Seth Cohen a very valuable lesson.


	8. In Violence

**A/N: It's...mean, I know but...all all be revealed soon. Remember, this is only supposed to be ten chapters.**

**Summary: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. (Shakespeare) Who wants to kill Newport's teen queen? OC.**

**Disclaimer: It's on my user page.**

**Warning: Some graphic implied storylines and some bad language but it's all good otherwise. Well not really.**

* * *

Helena is petite compared to the three men that tower over her. Her gentle features, freckled face and shinging hair are so innocent, so beautiful that the men have a hard time believing she wishes to work with them.

"Hello boys" she purrs "I'm so glad you could meet me"

The taller, more heavy set of the three grunts unsurely "Little delicate aren't ya? If you want us to take out some girl that's stealing your boyfriend no deal. We're not here to mess around"

Their 'meeting' takes place in a back lot storage area by the docks. The sounds of seagulls screeching and the soft lullaby of the sea washing back and forth fills the room in Helena's silence. But when she does speak, her voice has taken on a harder edge and her eyes are dark orbs, lacking in light or mercy.

"Do not make the mistake of patronising me. Your not the only ones that can cause great harm, I want you to take care of someone, never mind why. You will be rewarded handsomely, three times above your asking price"

The shortest of the three, a scrawny spiky haired guy with muscles that are too defined and hair that is too styled.

"Listen here doll face, that 'reward' better be in money…you may be hot, but a guys got to eat" he leers, his hands are as greasy as his forehead, he openly rakes his energetic blue eyes over her body

Helena gives him a look of utter disgust and puts her hands into her admiral style black jacket. She feels the hard, smooth knife and suddenly feels a little stronger.

"I'm sorry, when you spoke, all I heard was bullshit. You three want this job or not? Because there are plenty others to do it"

The third man talks with a thick European accent. "We accept, but remember our rules…"

Helena dismisses them with a wave of her fingers "I got it. If you'll excuse me, I have a hair appointment" from her slouchy brown Balencgia bag she produces an envelope that is fat with money and tosses it at the tallest man, he grabs it excitedly and Helena gives the three another look of utter repulsion

"How did you get our number anyway? Nice girl like you and all" asks the man with the European accent

"Who ever said I was nice? Don't screw this up" she says firmly and with that, she leaves the three men, the scent of youth and Chanel in the air. The men exchange looks but say nothing, feeling every so slightly cold as she passed underneath the bridge.

* * *

Helena is half asleep as she sits with her parents in their back garden. The family of three, sit on white iron chairs with ornate patterns and eat breakfast from silver trays. She is exhausted, after spending most of the night preparing things for her attack on Seth Cohen and waking up screaming from a nightmare where she saw herself killing her own brother in her aunt and uncle's house, understandably she has had little sleep.

"Helena honey! I thought you'd be excited! We'll delay the trip to Aspen and you can start at Harbour High, it'll be wonderful. Dr. Mosco says that would be an excellent idea" trills Eleanor, her smile is as false as her hair colour, a now rich red to compete with Julie Cooper's.

"I am tired mother, let's leave this talk till….much later. I'd much rather study my final year in France, Oliver loved it there" sighs Helena without thinking

Laurence looks first at his wife and then his daughter and he shakes his head. Wiping his mouth absently with a white handkerchief he then stands up. "Helena, you want to visit Oliver's grave so much? Then let's go. Now"

Helena is startled by this change in mood by her father but she is please nonetheless "Thank you dad!" she grins gleefully and rushes to her feet, she goes to kiss her father on the cheek and he merely remains stiff, with the expression of someone very irritated. He can't understand why his family has turned into something he so despises. Something so embarrassing. Of course he loves his children, in his own detached way but he fails to grasp the reasons for his children's descent into madness. They have everything they could ever want for and more.  
He blames his wife.

Eleanor is appalled by her husband's suggestion "His grave! Laurence now that is enough, you've heard what Dr. Mosco said she's not ready!" she snaps showing her backbone

Laurence shakes his head again "I do not care what that hack has said, I've reached my limit with all this, it's time she understood things"

"Understood what?" asks Helena and it seems as if they've only just noticed her seated there

"Go and get dressed dear" he says firmly, Helena narrows her eyes but does as he says.

* * *

The drive back to LA is silent, Laurence Trask does not speak, his eyes remain on the road, his mind on the events of the past year. Helena watches him, his brow furrowed his dark eyebrows knitted together pensively. Oliver resembled his father when he was tired, the same chewed lip. She misses her brother and she was glad finally, that someone in her family is acknowledging his death.  
"Thank you for this" she says tentatively

Laurence glances sideways at her, his eyes sad, his mouth a half smile. He shakes his head and turns his attention back to the road.

Seth stumbles to his front door, weak, bloody, bruised and exhausted. He coughs and blood sprays out in light drops. He's missing a large part of his lower teeth. No one answers the front, no matter how much he chokes and splutters no one answers. Struggling to hold his head up he staggers around the back to the pool house, the screens are down but there's a light on. His heart swells with hope and he manages to make it to the pool house and rap his shredded knuckles on the door.

Ryan nods his head to the music blaring on his Ipod, he scribbles down some more lines for his English Lit. essay and then pauses, thinking he hears a sound. He shakes this off and continues writing, but then the sound increases. He's not imagining things, he wonders who it could be since Seth is at Summer's and Kirsten and Sandy are out at dinner.  
Sighing, Ryan shuffles to his feet and takes out his headphones, if he only knew what was right outside his door, he might not have taken his time.  
He opens the door and the sea breeze hits him, he looks around and sees no one. Then he does a double take. Seth is sprawled face down on the cement and he doesn't appear to be conscious.

Ryan drops to his knees "Seth! Hey! Seth! What happened?" he shouts, horrified Seth doesn't answer. Ryan runs for the phone.


	9. In Memorium

Summary: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. (Shakespeare) Who wants to kill Newport's teen queen? OC. 

Disclaimer: It's on my user page.

Warning: Some graphic implied storylines and some bad language

A/N: Sneer if you will at my music tastes but they're apt to the chapter don't you think?

'In the shadows where the heads hang low  
You hear voices as the wind blows, asking "can't you see"Reminding you to breathe It's only time before it catches up to you and all your broken luck I found a better way to get even with my memory'

-Alkaline Trio-

"Oh god, Ryan what happened to him?"

Kirsten's eyes are red rimmed and glowing with tears, she looks weaker and frailer than Ryan's ever seen her and it scares him. He can't understand how so many things that could go wrong in his life have gone wrong. Sucking in his cheeks he puts a comforting arm around Kirsten.

"Seth's going to be okay you know, he's tougher than he acts"

Kirsten scoffs "He's stubborn...he'll be fine" she nods to convince herself and sits down on the plastic hospital chairs. She hates waiting rooms, they make her feel tense and restless. She hates the fact that there's literally nothing to do in there but wait.

"Sandy! Oh, how is he?" she leaps to her feet and runs towards her husband who appears exhausted but relieved

"The doctor says he's got a lot of bruising, but it's nothing that won't heal. He's still unconscious now and there was some blood loss...but he says Seth's lucky, it...can all be fixed"

He took his comforted wife under one arm and Ryan under the other and thanked his stars that his family was built on such strong individuals.

Karen has been wondering for quite some time now, what exactly is in the basement. It's scratched at her nerves like a nail sticking out of a wall. She's seen Helena slink into there one or two times, she knows that the place is locked and of course Helena's parents pay no attention to this because with so many other rooms in their houses what need would they have for the basement? But Karen can't just ignore it, that white door, so uniform and plain, it calls to her, with hidden mysteries and secrets that she just knows are lurking behind there.  
She's convinced herself that the basement will be the answer to Helena's change in character. She tucks her hands into her back pockets and stares at it, Helena is out of the house, as are her parents. No one would know.  
She tells herself she'll just take a quick peek and be gone.  
Her fingers curl around the cool handle and a shudder passes through her, it's an ominous feeling and she suddenly grows nervous. She becomes unsure that she truly wants to uncover whatever secrets the basement holds.  
It doesn't matter how she feels.  
The basement is locked.  
Karen curses and her eyes cloud, of course it's locked. Helena isn't stupid.  
But why exactly is it locked?

Helena is scared.  
She's never been more scared in her life; it's impossible. It truly is impossible.  
But she's searched everywhere in the damn graveyard, everywhere. She crawled around scratching at moss on ancient tombstones, even though she knows they can't possibly be the one.  
She retches behind a beautiful poplar tree, from where she's stood she can see her father sitting in the car, smoking a cigar.  
He looks so calm.  
Almost smug.  
She could kill him.  
She runs fast, her feet covering large expanses of ground in her anxiousness to get to her father. She hammers on the window with her fists, her eyes smeared with runny mascara. Laurence stares at the pure rage, emanating from her eyes and for a moment he's scared, but then he composes himself and steps out of the car, the minute he does so she begins to punch him.

"How dare you! How dare you! Why would you lie like this!" she screams, her screams are so loud that a woman planting flowers on her husbands grave hears, from the other side of the LA graveyard.

"Stop it!" he shouts

She does so, but he almost wishes she hasn't. She stands very still, shaking, her skin white, her eyes almost bulging out of her head.

"How can you say that?" she wails

"Because it's true!. Your brother is not dead, he faked his death!"

Helena stands still in shock, the wind flows through her hair and slowly she remembers. It comes rushing back to her.

Oliver screaming. He hates it in the institute, he's angry.  
Tears are streaming from his eyes, he feels so alone.  
Helena feels she betrayed him; she let him down. Look at where he is. She's scared for him; he's a shadow of the person who used to be They wanted to send her there, but she was the 'sane' one.  
Oliver says he's had enough, her parents says it's better than jail. After that stunt he pulled in the hotel.  
Helena knows he can't handle much more of it. She moves to LA, near the institute so she can visit regularly. She starts going every day.  
Sometimes with him, she can't tell who is sane and who is not between them The phone call comes as she's driving down to see him.  
Now she remembers; the squeal of brakes, the burn of rubber on the road, the spray of glass, the blood. The smell is so strong. There's burning.  
Then darkness.  
When she wakes up, they tell her Oliver is dead, but she knows they are lying, she saw him, he came to her in the car he told her she had to help him.  
Avenge his death.  
Her parents skirt around Oliver's death, treat her like a wild animal. She stays in LA for a while and learns what she can of Oliver's enemies.  
There is no dead aunt and uncle. She imagined that part.

Helena steps out of her trance feeling utterly nauseated and sick. "He's not dead?" she croaks her eyes wide and afraid.

"Let's go home now honey" says Laurence, he sounds unnaturally caring and paternal

Helena gets in the car beside him. In her mind she can hear Oliver, he tells her that their father is lying, he is truly dead. She must avenge him, Helena screams and screams inwardly at the voice, she doesn't know where she is anymore or what she is doing. What part of her memory can she trust?

"Oliver is living in New York, the hotel didn't press charges, thanks in large to a donation I made, he wants to see you. When you're better of course..." says Laurence

Helena doesn't hear him, she curls her fists together and then starts punching her father, his flesh is soft and easily moulds around her flesh, he shouts at her to stop, the car swerves and in Helena's eyes. Lights sparkle. Suddenly the car is swirling and swirling with no signs of stopping, Helena ducks under her arms for cover, the car stumbles over the road, her dazed and bloody father struggles to regain control and they crash into a cliff face. Rocks tumble down like rain on them and then Helena experiences that darkness she had almost a year ago.

Helena is alive, she forces her eyes open, the pain is excruciating. Pain is good. It means she's alive it means she can live, she can avenge her brother. Beside her, Laurence lies dead. This much she knows; that is not a vision, a hallucination, a lost or repressed memory. He is truly dead. She groans and undoes her seatbelt.  
Pain shoots up her side, she wiggles her toes and then her ankles, she can still walk. Newport isn't far, if anyone asks, she went for help.  
Besides it won't matter what people will think of her leaving her dead father, they'll probably lock her up. She could care less. Once she has avenged Oliver, none of what she has done or has happened will matter. In her mind It'll be over, gone like a thief in the night.  
The car door screeches open, her fingers hit tarmac, and tiny stones indent themselves in her palms, which are sticky with blood.  
Helena lays on the tarmac, staring up at the day sky, the sun in her eyes. She knows she can walk, she knows she can do it, her rich brown hair is stuck to the bloody wound on her head, she pushes some apart and dabs at the oozing head. The pain is nightmarish, but she'll bear it.  
Rain spits down and she knows that she must be on her way, she gets her suitcase from the boot of the car, and thankfully everything is intact in the suitcase. With a sigh she shoots one last glance at Paul and then begins to stagger down the road. The blood, the pain and the exhaustion do not concern her in the slight test.  
She can only hear Oliver in her head, he encourages, he tells her she can make it, that she will not fail. She trusts him, only him.  
He has never lied, he has never failed her.  
With her mouth fixed in a resolute line, Helena continues on her journey. She's going back to Newport, once she's there she's going to find Marissa Cooper and kill her. There's no more waiting, it's been long enough, she's already ruined the girl, now she can get it over with and kill her.  
It's what Oliver would want.


	10. In Truth

Summary: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. (Shakespeare) Who wants to kill Newport's teen queen? OC.

Disclaimer: It's on my user page.

Warning: This is quite disturbing but don't worry it all ends 'well'. Depending on whose side you're on.

_We've only got one chance to put this at an end  
and cross the patron saint of switchblade fights  
You said we're not celebrities, we spark and fade, they die by threes  
I'll make you understand and you can trade me for an apparition _

_-My Chemical Romance; Our Lady Of Sorrows-_

Helena twists her mouth into a painful wince, but she refuses to stop she has to keep going, curling her fists and bracing her stinging wounds against the rain she stalks forwards her destination clearly in mind. Newport will be too far away, she needs to hitch a lift.

Trying to straighten her clothes and smooth down her hair she sticks her thumb out into the rainy night and waits.

Marissa raises her champagne flute, it's contents are purely non-alcoholic this time and she cheers. "To Seth!"

Everyone in the Cohen living room also raises their glasses and cheer happily, Seth grins as Summer plants him with a loving kiss only for him to wince, he's still in pain from his earlier incident.

Summer looks wholly apologetic but at Seth's grins she relaxes then both tenderly and lovingly kisses the top of his curly black hair.

"What did the cops say? Any leads on the perp?" she asks

Seth scoffs "'perp''? 'any leads?', Summer, you really have to stop watching CSI so much" he teases

She rolls her eyes flippantly and fixes him with a serious star "Seth" she warns

He sighs "They've got nothing, nothing at all. They say it was an unmotivated attack, and whoever did it was probably drunk or something…I don't know and actually, I don't care. I just want to put it behind me"

Summer nods understandingly "Okay, I just wish we knew who did it"

That at least, Seth agrees with wholeheartedly.

When Karen manages to find a key to use on the basement she is almost excited, perhaps the basement will hold the answers to Helena's problems and she may find a way to help the young girl return to her former state.

She pushes the door open and thankfully it opens without any sound, holding her breath she takes a few steps forward into unknown darkness.

Her fingers find the cool plastic of a switch, she flicks it on and the room is flooded with dim light, Karen nervously climbs down the stairs her rubber shoes squeak like mice on the stone steps, her heart thuds rhythmically, slowly it's beat heightening.

She senses something untoward and feels sick

Then she sees them.

The hundreds of pictures, stuck up against the wall like posters, the same four faces over and over and over again. Most of these pictures have been viciously scrawled over with black marker.

It's all too sinister, it's all too much like Oliver.

Karen clasps her hand to her mouth, the glint of a pair of scissors catches her eye and she goes over to them, half sick with confusion and curiosity.

The scissors are clean.

She tries not to think it but she expected to find blood.

She reaches for a leather bound journal and picks it up, recognising it as the one Oliver carried around with him.

As she reads each page. Memories flash in her mind, as a movie reel almost and she remembers how it all began.

_Oliver had always been unhappy, his parents didn't see this, Karen did, she tried to help him but he was lost. _

_A long time ago, she thought she could help Helena instead._

_Oliver began to spend long periods of time in Newport, staying at the family hotel; he was attached to Natalie Bishop._

_Like Karen, Natalie was the only one who truly worried about Oliver, his parents put it down to youthful indiscretions but Karen knew better._

_Then that incident happened. All she knows was that Oliver locked him in his hotel room and threatened to kill a girl he'd been obsessing over._

"_not again" That was what his parents had said, then they'd covered it all up of course. Stuffed Oliver full of anti-depressants and then they'd gone skiing._

_It was Helena had visited her brother at the psychiatric facility. She was the one who read to him when he reverted into himself. Brought him all his favourite CD's, fruits, sweets._

_She cared for her brother, half blaming herself for neglecting him and letting him get to such a state, half hating her parents._

_Then it happened._

_Oliver; the doctors had said; had been found swinging from a beam in his ward. Karen had been suspicious of it from the get go, but she still called Helena. Told her the truth, all the while she wondered why the facility would not let the family come and bury Oliver._

_Then another blow hit the family, Helena in a car accident? Luckily she was unharmed. Karen was relieved._

_That was, until Helena returned._

_She was a different girl, moody, sullen and paranoid. She had changed after her brother's death but for the worse._

_She ended up staying with some family in LA, near the facility where Oliver had died._

_Karen had looked into Oliver's death and her suspicions were correct, he'd paid the doctors off, and found himself a hideaway._

_She'd made him go and tell his parents who were furious of course and disowned him almost on the spot._

_Oliver had begged and pleaded for them not to disown him (Karen was almost certain this was because he wanted their money) and they had agreed as long as he told Helena._

_In the end, Oliver had backed out of it, telling Karen that if she cared for him, she would do it and she would not breath a word of it to his parents._

_Helena hadn't believed a word of it. _

Karen steps out of her reverie and her mouth forms a grim line as she finishes reading the journal.

Helena has done some awful, terrible things.

Karen fears that the girl…_Marissa…_will be subjected very soon to Helena's wrath.

"KAREN!"

She hears the cry from Eleanor Trask coming from somewhere upstairs; Karen jumps guiltily and runs to find her boss.

Helena pushes open the French back doors of her house and stumbles into the kitchen, she hears voices from the living room and she knows she must be quick.

Using immense inner strength she ignores the pain she is feeling and heads for the basement.

She's more than a little shocked to see the door wide open like a gaping wound, exposing all her secrets.

She knows this is probably Karen or her mother's doing but she doesn't

care right now, the pain is making her confused, she wants nothing more than to kill Marissa Cooper but she's starting to lose sense of why.

Using the walls to prop her up, she inches down the stairs of the basement and searches around the room.

Then she finds it.

A small black pistol nestled in tissue in a wooden box next to some bullet cartridges; she loads the gun with as much cartridges as it can carry, some fall out of her hand and clatter on the ground but she couldn't care less.

She exhales as the feel of the gun seems to give her strength, wiping her bloody face she stalks back up the stairs and slinks out of the house again, now on her way to find Marissa Cooper and there is no one that can stop her.

Karen is shocked; Laurence has been found, alive; but only barely. He was travelling with Helena but she is missing and neither he nor Eleanor knows what to do. She and Eleanor find muddy footprints glaring at them from the gleaming kitchen floor and Karen instantly knows to whom they belong to.

"Oh god! Someone broke in!" gasps Eleanor

Karen shakes her head dismally "It was Helena. I think…I think I know what she's going to do. Oh god"

She runs back to the basement, her heart beating like a drum and of course there are muddy footprints. She starts as she sees what she hopes aren't bullets but she knows that they must be. Feeling on the brink of tears and begun sick Karen is at a loss.

Then she thinks back to the journal and she realises that there is only one person who can put an end to all this madness.

The party has dwindled to just Seth, Summer, Marissa and Ryan in the pool house, talking animatedly about a film they've just seen, they're all so engrossed in the conversation that they barely notice the ominous rain and the dark plumage of clouds in the skies.

Marissa thinks she sees something out of the corner of her eye, something pale but she ignores it.

It is only when a bullet explodes through the glass doors of the pool house that the group pay attention.

Helena stands illuminated in the glass her eyes are terrifying and almost endlessly dark.

Summer's screaming subsides and she gapes at Helena.

"Is that…Rory…?" gasps Ryan in confusion

Marissa who is crying nods numbly "She's calling me…" she states in terror

Helena steps through what was once a door and snarls at Marissa. "Come here…NOW!"

"What the hell are you doing!" shouts Ryan

Seth holds him back "Leave it man, she's got a gun"

Helena holds the gun firmly, although she has a slight limp from the accident she still manages to stalk purposefully towards Marissa, a deadly gleam has come over her features.

"I'm going to kill you. You killed my brother…and I'm going to _kill _you"

Marissa splutters "Your...who…what?"

"Oliver Trask?"

Then the group slowly realises why Rory seemed at once so familiar, the eyes, the smattering of freckles, the smile.

"You're his sister…?" stammers Seth

"Helena" she sneers

"I didn't kill him!" protests Marissa

Helena shakes her head "You might as well have, because of you…and the way you treated him they locked him up…sent him away and ultimately sent him to his death. He _hung _himself"

"It's not Marissa's fault that he was obsessed with her" snaps Ryan

This is stupid thing to say to Helena and Ryan realises it, but he fails to notice how close she is to Marissa until it's far too late.

Helena jumps and grips Marissa tightly by the wrist and starts to yank her out of the pool house.

"Scream and I'll blow your head off" hisses Helena

Marissa stops flailing about and lets Helena lead her off, but she isn't going to give up without a fight.

They stand by the pool, Summer, Seth and Ryan watching in terror and fear, desperate to help but knowing that it's too risky considering the proximity of Helena's gun to Marissa's temple.

"Please! You don't have to do this" Marissa wails

Helena stares at her, looking even madder in the pouring rain. "Yes I do"

And Marissa knows that she means it.

It's now or never.

Marissa suddenly shoots her elbow into Helena's side and the girl cries out sharply.

"HELENA! STOP IT!"

Both of the girl's heads turn and they see Karen and Oliver standing beside a shocked Sandy and Kirsten.

"What…what the hell is going on!"

Helena thinks she's seeing things. But the form that looks so much like her brother walks closer and there is an audible gasp from Seth, Summer and Ryan

"It's me sis." He says gently

Helena opens and closes her mouth.

"No. No! THIS IS A TRICK!" she screams and backs away, standing precariously near the edge of the pool.

Marissa tries to slink away but Helena has seen her, before a sobbing Oliver can do a thing about it.

A shot rings out into the night.

EPILOGUE.

Helena lies on a white bed, her arms lie flat by her side. A smile is on her face; she's finally at peace.

There is movement above her.

It's Oliver; he hasn't slept since it happened. Helena had fired an empty gun, there had been no bullet.

He never knew he could feel so guilty, but he does. It is truly because of him that his sister is now where she is.

"Oliver" she says softly

He looks down at her and grips her hand tightly

"I did it Oliver. I killed her. For _you_" she murmurs

A fat tear falls from his eye "Yeah. You did it," he croaks

"Are they going to put me in jail?" she whispers

He shakes his head "I'd never let them do that to you"

"You're the best," she says firmly

She smiles widely and stares blankly at the ceiling.


End file.
